Genesis 42-44

"Truly we are guilty concerning our brother... therefore this distress has come upon us... Now comes the reckoning for his blood." (Genesis 42:21,22)

Man, I hate sin! It never leads to freedom, joy, peace or victory. It doesn't matter if you get caught or are the world's best cover-up artist. You can never hide it from God, nor can you hide it from yourself.

And sin creates consequences, consequences which, even if we are willing to repent and be reconciled, bare impact on every aspect of our lives. If everyone finds out, obviously there are public steps towards reconciliation, but secret sin never found out bears much weight on the soul as well.

Our secret sins are some of the most damaging things holding us back from growth in our relationship with Christ and the Church. Whether it be from a sense of self preservation and pride to a sense of expectation, when we carry secret sins around with us, they time and time again flare up and paralyze us.

Sometimes we work so hard to keep a sin secret that it overwhelms thoughts and attitudes in other areas of our lives. The guilt of these sins drive us to go to incredible lengths to preserve their anonymity for which we, purposefully or unconsciously, sell off our joy and peace.

Today's reading reminds us once again of sin's great sting. Immediately after Joseph's brothers get in trouble they seemingly instantly attribute their challenges and persecution to God's divine condemnation. I can only wonder how many times in those years between Joseph's "disappearance" and now they have had those thoughts. I would venture to say this wasn't a first!

Unresolved sin, unconfessed sin, simply reeks havoc on our souls and minds. Hear what David had to say in Psalm 32, "When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was drained away as with the fever feat of summer."

Had that experience? Guess what, you're not alone. If you are in Christ, the Holy Spirit who indwells you will convict you of sin. That's part of His role in our lives, our sanctification. (John 16:8, 1 Thess 4:3) The longer you hold on to it, the more damage it will do.

The Bible tells us to confess our sins, even to one another, so that times of refreshing may come. In that very same psalm, David adds this, "I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I did not hide; I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord"; and You forgave the guilt of my sin."

David is so grateful that he then adds this line, "Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You in a time when You may be found." He experienced forgiveness, restoration, and reconciliation and as a result invites everyone else to enjoy this same great grace with him.

So what's eating you? Find a close friend, a spouse, maybe a pastor. Confess and accept God's forgiveness. The alternative is modeled by Joseph's brothers. Choose today to change tomorrow. We were saved by Christ to experience freedom, joy, peace or victory. What are you experiencing?

If you don't have Christ's forgiveness, this can be yours too. Pray and ask God to forgive you. Confess your sin to God. Accept Christ as your Savior and Lord, and, walking in repentance, experience true freedom found only in the grace of our Savior.